A U.S. Marine Corps Historical Company uses a flame-thrower on a
bunker during the beach landing re-enactment.
— The Bay Net photos and video by Mandy Echoff

The Calvert Marine Museum held their 9th annual “Cradle of Invasion” amphibious re-enactment this weekend, to mark the significance of Solomon’s Island as an amphibious assault training base during World War II.
 
Bob Fowler, right

All weekend long crowds came to listen as WWII veterans shared first-hand accounts of the war during a round table meeting. Hundreds of veterans and civilians gathered to watch U.S. Marine units storm the beach on Solomon’s.

In 1942, one of the first amphibious training camps was started at Solomon’s Island to prepare Marines and Army soldiers to land and take over islands in the South Pacific Solomon Islands and later the beaches of Normandy, France.

WWII Veteran Bob Fowler of Ellicot City came to witness the amphibious reenactment drill, as well as to share some of his own war stories.

 

As the crowd patiently waited, Marines arrived on Landing Craft boats. The landing gear failed on the first boat so the soldiers began jumping over the side, sweeping up the beach and taking out the insidious ginger-bread men set up as the enemy.

After demolishing all of the bunkers with marksmen, flame throwers, and hand grenades, a second team of soldiers armed with rifles and trained K9 dogs swept in to finish securing the area.